Combination lock ring and uprighting spring orthodontic appliance

ABSTRACT

An orthodontic appliance for locking an arch wire or arch wires to an orthodontic bracket and to effect mesiodistal inclinations, and which includes a lockring and an uprighting spring. The bracket to which the appliance may be applied includes the usual occlusal-gingivally extending opening in the body, and the lockring is adapted to be slipped over the body and locked into place by insertion of the tail of the uprighting spring into the bracket opening. Means is provided on the lockring to lock the arch wire to the bracket.

United States Patent [151 3,641,672

Kesling 1 Feb. 15, 1972 [54] COMBINATION LOCK RING AND 3,164,900 1/1965 Wallshein ..32/l4 A UPRIGHTING SPRING ORTHODONTIC 3,458,031 7/1969 Hoffman ..32/14 A APPLIANCE Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock [72] inventor: Peter C. Kesling, Green Acres, La Porte, mmmey KinZel- Dom and Zicken Ind. 46350. [22] Filed: Jan. 12, 1971 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 105,898 An orthodontic appliance for locking an arch wire or arch wires to an orthodontic bracket and to effect mesiodistal 52] U S CI 3 A inclinations, and which includes a lockring and an uprighting spring. The bracket to which the appliance may be applied ing ggfig cludes the usual occlusabgingivally extending opening in the e o are body and the lockring is adapted to be Slipped over the body and locked into place by insertion of the tail of the uprighting [56] References Cited spring into the bracket opening. Means is provided on the UNITED STATES PATENTS lockring to lock the arch wire to the bracket.

3,087,244 4/1963 Huettner et al. ..32/ 14 A 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PAfENTEUFEB 15 m2 3.641.672

INVENTOR PETER C. KESLING ATTO RNEYS COMBINATION LOCK RING AND UPRIGI-ITING SPRING ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE This invention relates in general to an orthodontic appliance, and more particularly to a combination lockring or arch wire lock member and uprighting spring appliance capable of locking an arch wire to a bracket and providing rotation and/or tipping control of the tooth, and still more particularly to an appliance for effecting mesiodistal inclinations of a tooth.

I-Ieretofore, difficulty has been encountered in using uprighting springs to control tipping of a tooth since it is desired to secure one end of the spring to the tooth through a bracket, and since there has not been sufficient room provided in brackets to secure the uprighting spring thereto. Usually, it is necessary to secure an arch wire to the bracket by use of a lockpin, the pin extending through the occlusal-gingivally extending opening of the bracket, wherein virtually no room is saved for receiving an uprighting spring. Accordingly, it has been proposed to combine the pin and spring into one element, but this has not proven satisfactory.

The present invention overcomes the above difficulties in providing an appliance that not only permits easy usage of an uprighting spring that may be connected to a bracket to effect mesiodistal inclinations of a tooth, but also facilitates rotational control of a tooth. This invention includes a lockring or arch wire lock member that may be slipped over the body of the bracket and locked thereto by the insertion of an uprighting spring in the lockpin opening of the bracket. Means is provided on the lockring to close the arch wire notch of the bracket and thereby lock the arch wire or arch wires in place on the bracket. The invention in the form of a lockring, having both mesial and distal portions along the bracket body, provides means for coacting with the attaching flanges to engage the arch wire mesially and distally of the bracket body and enhance rotational control of the tooth. In another form, where rotational control is not desired, a U-shaped member may be slipped over the bracket body with its bight portion extending labially, and its legs having openings aligning with the pin opening of the bracket so that an uprighting spring may be inserted therethrough to lock the member to the bracket, and leave the arch wire free to rotate relative the bracket.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved orthodontic appliance capable of locking an arch wire or arch wires to a bracket, and which includes an uprighting spring and a member that is locked in place on the bracket to in turn lock the arch wire or arch wires in place.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of a combination arch wire locking member and uprighting spring appliance capable of providing both tipping and rotational control of a tooth, while locking an arch wire to a bracket.

A further object is in the provision of a lockring and uprighting spring orthodontic appliance which includes a lockring capable of being slipped over the body of a bracket, and an uprighting spring adapted to be inserted in the pin opening of a bracket to secure the lockring to the bracket, wherein the lockring includes means for closing the arch wire notch of the bracket to lock an arch wire in place, and means for effecting or preventing rotational movement of the tooth.

A still further object is in the provision of a combination uprighting spring and arch wire locking member orthodontic appliance capable of locking an arch wire to a bracket, and eliminating the need of a lockpin.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a labial perspective view of the combination lockring and uprighting spring appliance of the invention, with the spring shown in phantom and partially fragmentary;

FIG. 2 is a front or labial elevational view of the combination appliance according to the invention mounted on a bracket and shown in association with an arch wire;

FIG. 3 is a top or gingival view of the bracket and assembly,

taken generally along line 3-3 ofFlG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the bracket assembly of FIG. 2 and taken generally along line 4-4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is a labial perspective view of a modification, and illustrating stop means on the lockring for controlling tipping action;

FIG. 6 is a labial perspective view of a modification, with the spring in phantom, wherein the arch wire locking member is essentially labially positioned relative the bracket; and

FIG. 7 is a labial perspective view of a further modification of the arch wire locking member, and showing the uprighting spring in phantom for purposes of clarity.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, the combination arch wire locking element and uprighting spring appliance of the invention is shown as including a lockring l5 and an uprighting spring 16, for use with a standard light wire bracket 17 of the type disclosed in my US. Pat. No. 3,178,821. It should be appreciated that the appliance of this invention can be used with other types of brackets than the one illustrated in the drawings, as long as the bracket includesan arch wire slot and a pin opening arranged adjacent the slot.

The bracket 17 includes a body from attaching flanges 19. The body defines an occlusal-gingivally extending pin opening 20 formed by opposing body walls 21 and 22 extending labially from the attaching flanges and connected at the labial side by a wall 23. An arch wire notch or slot 24 is defined in the body 18 at the gingival end and lingual side, it being appreciated that the slot is of a suitable depth to accept one or more arch wires 25. Only one arch wire is illustrated for purposes of simplicity. It should be appreciated that the bracket may be directly attached to a tooth by an adhesive, or first mounted on a band that is in turn cemented to a tooth.

Heretofore, arch wires were normally held in the arch wire slot by a pin inserted in the pin opening, such as illustrated in my US. Pat. No. 3,085,336. Because the pin would normally till the pin opening, it would not be possible to use the pin opening for additionally receiving an uprighting spring.

The embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 overcomes the heretofore known problems in anchoring an uprighting spring to a bracket, while at the same time locking an arch wire in place. The lockring 15 is generally ring shaped or rectangularly shaped, and is defined by a pair of upright opposed side members 28 and 29 interconnected at their upper and lower ends by upper and lower end members 30 and 31. The side members and end members coact to define an opening 32 sized to receive the body 18 of the bracket, as seen in FIG. 2.

The upper and lower end members 30 and 31 include generally V-shaped sections 33 and 34, which define on the lingual side convex faces 33a and 34a, and on the labial side concave faces 33b and 34b, the latter of which coact with the pin opening 20 at the upper and lower ends of the bracket body to receive the anchoring leg 36 of the uprighting spring 16, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The upper V-shaped section 33 as shown in FIG. 3 extends lingually over the upper end of the arch wire slot 24 to thereby lock the arch wire 25 to the bracket. Further, the upper end member 30 bears against the upper end of the bracket body, while the lower end member bears against the lower end of the bracket body to prevent any shifting of the lock ring when it is in place on the bracket, While the upper and lower V-shaped sections 33 and 34 may be identically made, the upper section could be made to extend further lingually for the function of locking the arch wire in place.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 2, the uprighting or tipping spring 16 is of the conventional form made of suitable spring steel, wherein a spring loop or coil 38 is arranged between the bracket anchoring leg 36 and the arch wire anchoring or connecting leg 39, the latter of which may be hook shaped at its terminal end to hook over the arch wire 25. The tail end of the bracket anchoring leg 36 may be bent over the lockring 15 as shown in FIG. 2 to further anchor the uprighting spring in place.

18 extending outwardly Mounting of the appliance is simple, as it only requires applying the lockring to the bracket body following placement of the arch wire in the bracket slot, and insertion of the uprighting spring anchoring leg through the bracket pin opening to lock the lockring in place. With the lockring in place, the arch wire is secured to the bracket. After the arch wire end of the spring is connected to the arch wire, changes in the mesiodistal inclination of the tooth and bracket will take place.

In order to prevent tipping of a tooth beyond a desired point, a lingually extending lug 42 may be provided on the lockring as shown in FIG. 5 to prevent movement between the wire 25 and the bracket beyond a predetermined point. Accordingly, the lockring of this embodiment generally designated as A, differs from that of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 only in that a stop is provided to limit the tipping movement of a tooth, this being especially important as it is the experience of orthodontists that overtipping might be encountered between visits which would require additional correction time during the straightening process. The stop may be positioned wherever desired, and may even be provided in duplicate, that is, one stop on each side member.

Another embodiment is disclosed in FIG. 6, wherein it likewise includes an uprighting spring 16 and an arch wirelocking member 48. The member 48 differs from the lockring 15 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in that it is U- shaped and essentially positioned on the labial side of the bracket The member includes upper and lower legs 49 and 50 interconnected by a vertically extending leg or connecting portion 51. The upper leg 49 includes an opening 49a while the lower leg 50 includes an opening 50a aligned with the upper opening, and wherein the openings are adapted to align with the pin opening of the bracket to receive the anchoring leg 36 of the uprighting spring 16. Accordingly, the upper leg 49 fits over the upper end of the bracket body, while the lower leg 50 fits over the lower end of the bracket body. The vertically extending connecting portion or leg 51 is received at the labial side of the bracket and adjacent the labial wall 23 of the bracket body 18. This embodiment does not provide any rotational control of a tooth, but it will be understood that the upper leg 49 functions to overlie the bracket slot 24 to lock an arch wire in place on the bracket, while at the same time permitting the use of an uprighting spring with a bracket to effect mesiodistal inclinations ofthe tooth.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in HO. 7, which differs in the lockring configuration, as the uprighting spring remains the same as used in the other embodiments. The lockring in this embodiment, generally designated at 54 includes opposed side members 55 and 56 interconnected at their upper and lower ends by the upper and lower end members 57 and 58. The opposed side members are adapted to be received along opposite sides of the bracket body, while upper and lower end members are adapted to be received along the upper and lower ends of the bracket body. Aligned springreceiving openings 57a and 58a are provided in the upper and lower end members 57 and 58, which are adapted to coact and align with the pin opening of the bracket to receive the anchoring leg 36 of the uprighting spring to secure the lockring 54 to the bracket. The tail end of the anchoring leg may be bent over the lockring if desired. An arch wire-locking extension 59 extends lingually from the upper end member 57 to overlie the arch wire slot and close it to lock an arch wire to the bracket. This embodiment operates in the same fashion as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 to effect mesiodistal inclinations of a tooth.

The lockring or arch wire lock member of any embodiment cepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereb claimed as follows: 1. In combination wit an orthodontic bracket having attaching flanges, and a body extending labially from the flanges and having a gingival-occlusally extending opening therein and a mesial-distally extending arch wire slot, wherein the bracket is adapted to be mounted on a tooth and have an arch wire connected thereto, a combination lockring and uprighting spring appliance for locking an arch wire to the bracket and effecting mesiodistal inclinations of the bracket and tooth, said appliance including a lockring and an uprighting spring, said lockring including a ring-shaped frame fittable over the bracket body against the arch wire, lingually offset portions at the gingival and occlusal ends of the frame aligned with the body opening, the offset portion on one end coacting with the arch wire slot to lock the arch wire therein, said uprighting spring including a bracket anchoring leg received in the bracket opening labially of the offset portions to lock the lockring on the bracket, an arch wire engaging leg for engaging the arch wire mesial or distal of the bracket body, and a spring coil intermediate the anchoring and engaging legs.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the offset portions define a convex lingual face and a concave labial face.

3. The combination as defined in claim I, and stop means extending lingually of the lockring into the path of the arch wire to limit tipping between the arch wire and bracket.

4. In combination with an orthodontic bracket having attaching flanges, and a body extending labially from the flanges and having a gingival-occlusally extending opening therein and a mesial-distally extending arch wire slot, wherein the bracket is adapted to be mounted on a tooth and have an arch wire connected thereto, a combination arch wire locking element and uprighting spring appliance for locking the arch wire to the bracket and effecting mesiodistal inclinations of the bracket, said uprighting spring including a bracket anchoring leg, an arch wire connecting leg, and a spring coil intermediate the legs, said appliance including upper and lower end members interconnected by intermediate member means, said upper and lower end members having aligned means coacting with the body opening to receive the bracket anchoring leg and lock the lockring on the bracket, one ofsaid end members extending labial and closing the arch wire slot.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said in termediate member means includes a member positioned labially ofthe bracket body, and said aligned means includes holes formed in the upper and lower end members.

6. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said intermediate member means include opposed side members positioned mesial and distal of the bracket body.

7. The combination as defined in claim 6, and stop means extending lingually of the locking element into the path of the arch wire to limit tipping between the arch wire and bracket.

8. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said aligned means includes holes formed in the upper and lower end members.

9. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said aligned means includes lingual offset portions formed in the upper and lower end members. 

1. In combination with an orthodontic bracket having attaching flanges, and a body extending labially from the flanges and having a gingival-occlusally extending opening therein and a mesial-distally extending arch wire slot, wherein the bracket is adapted to be mounted on a tooth and have an arch wire connected thereto, a combination lockring and uprighting spring appliance for locking an arch wire to the bracket and effecting mesiodistal inclinations of the bracket and tooth, said appliance including a lockring and an uprighting spring, said lockring including a ring-shaped frame fittable over the bracket body against the arch wire, lingually offset portions at the gingival and occlusal ends of the frame aligned with the body opening, the offset portion on one end coacting with the arch wire slot to lock the arch wire therein, said uprighting spring including a bracket anchoring leg received in the bracket opening labially of the offset portions to lock the lockring on the bracket, an arch wire engaging leg for engaging the arch wire mesial or distal of the bracket body, and a spring coil intermediate the anchoring and engaging legs.
 2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the offset portions define a convex lingual face and a concave labial face.
 3. The combination as defined in claim 1, and stop means extending lingually of the lockring into the path of the arch wire to limit tipping between the arch wire and bracket.
 4. In combination with an orthodontic bracket having attaching flanges, and a body extending labially from the flanges and having a gingival-occlusally extending opening therein and a mesial-distally extending arch wire slot, wherein the bracket is adapted to be mounted on a tooth and have an arch wire connected thereto, a combination arch wire locking element and uprighting spring appliance for locking the arch wire to the bracket and effecting mesiodistal inclinations of the bracket, said uprighting spring including a bracket anchoring leg, an arch wire connecting leg, and a spring coil intermediate the legs, said appliance including upper and lower end members interconnected by intermediate member means, said upper and lower end members having aligned means coacting with the body opening to receive the bracket anchoring leg and lock the lockring on thE bracket, one of said end members extending labial and closing the arch wire slot.
 5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said intermediate member means includes a member positioned labially of the bracket body, and said aligned means includes holes formed in the upper and lower end members.
 6. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said intermediate member means include opposed side members positioned mesial and distal of the bracket body.
 7. The combination as defined in claim 6, and stop means extending lingually of the locking element into the path of the arch wire to limit tipping between the arch wire and bracket.
 8. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said aligned means includes holes formed in the upper and lower end members.
 9. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said aligned means includes lingual offset portions formed in the upper and lower end members. 